The Custom 24 is the original PRS¦the guitar Paul Reed Smith took to his first tradeshow in 1985. A perennial favorite with musicians, this 10-Top model has been updated for 2011 with V12 finish, a Pattern Thin mahogany neck, and uncovered 59/09 pickups wired for the redesigned 5-way blade switch, which offers a dual humbucker option for the first time.

V12 FinishFinish should enhance the look, sound, and feel of a guitar by accentuating the wood's inherent beauty and feel without hindering its natural resonance. And PRS Guitars' new "V12" finish does just that. Introduced at Experience PRS 2010, "V12" is a very thin, hard, and clear finish that will not crack or react with thinners. After roughly 12 years in development, it is halfway between acrylic and nitro but with a classic feel all its own. "PRS models with this new finish feel like old instruments," said Paul Reed Smith.

Pattern Thin Neck ShapeNeck shapes have always been a high priority for PRS and a hallmark of our quality. A guitar should feel comfortable, like "home," as soon as you pick it up, and the neck is paramount to that connection. The "Pattern Thin" neck is an updated version of PRS's traditional Wide Thin neck. This new neck shape reflects modern tooling and programming that allows us to even more preciously shape and consistently reproduce our necks.

Waited and waited and finally pulled the trigger on the guitar of my dreams. This one is in McCarty sunburst - always wanted a nice flame top. Not exactly book-matched but close enough for me. First thing I noticed out of the case: A very light guitar for a mahogany body. Acoustically resonant as well. Build quality is superb as expected and it came near perfectly set up (it BETTER be, right?). Amazing considering the trip it took to get to my house. Action was just a tad high but that was easily adjusted to my liking. Neck relief is not an issue; also surprising given the shipping.

This is the latest 2011 version of the custom 24 Ten Top with the pattern thin neck. The 59/09 pups are surprisingly punchy and a tad bright, which I like. Unlike darker bucker-equipped guitars, the Custom 24 cuts through the mix. The 2 and 4 positions of the 5-way switch gets those near-Stratty 2 and 4 position tones, so this is a very versatile guitar. Want funk or SUV and then switch to full lead bucker roar? It's there. Santana-ish tones on just the neck pup are there in spades as well. Roll off the tone in clean mode on just the neck pup with some fingerstyle walking bass and you've got a fair imitation of a jazz box. The trem is smooth as silk and the guitar stays in tune - again, for the price it should.

Just a couple things that I'm going to have to get used to: The position of the selector is down and towards the rear, so switching from one of my Strats to the PRS during a gig will find me fumbling for the selector while singing. The linear taper of the volume pot is also something I'm dealing with - it rolls off slower than Fenders. And lastly, maybe a stupid phobia but leaving the guitar in a stand and leaving the stage, especially outdoors... Uhhh, just dreading that first ding.

All in all, my expectations were met. Probably the last guitar I'll purchase for a long long time but she's a beauty in every regard. Well done Paul Reed Smith.

This is the best guitar I will ever own. I may not buy another guitar ever again for fear of disappointment. The sound is amazing on all five positions of the pickup selector. When in the middle, it gives a warm sound for a great acoustic-like feel. With the pickup selector on the bridge humbucker, it is a much brighter sound (which I like more for playing with my pedals). The pattern-thin neck makes this guitar very easy to move up and down the fretboard. If you have the means, I recommend this guitar to everyone. The '59/'09 pickups are top-notch. The 10-top is stunning and will get a second look from everyone who sees it. I love the birds (though I wish they still did abalone birds instead of banded melon). Value is subjective here as $3,000 is a lot of money for any one product. However, if you are a true musician, you will not deny the value of holding this guitar. You won't want to put it down.